Classy Connolly fires another hat-trick as Cork run riot against Tipperary
19 May 2024; Alan Connolly of Cork celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 4 match between Tipperary and Cork at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
The dazzling Alan Connolly’s third hat-trick of goals this season set Cork on their way to a possible championship-surviving victory as they made Thurles their own this evening.
The win also consigns a dismal Tipperary to an early championship exit, the third time in five seasons they have failed to qualify from the Munster round-robin phase.
A victory for Limerick against Waterford will secure Cork’s passage into the knock-out stages.
Leading 1-15 to 1-12 at half-time, Connolly and Cork put an unanswered 1-8 on Tipperary in a 10-minute spell. Watched by a Cork-dominant 43,972 crowd in FBD Semple Stadium, Connolly had raised his second green flag in the 41st minute after an injured Cathal Barrett was caught in possession.
The hat-trick, which followed back-to-back feats against Offaly and Wexford in the league, was completed in the 47th minute when Connolly was involved in neat one-two with substitute Luke Meade before killing off Tipperary.
There was still time for Cork’s bench to get on in the act. Shane Kingston sent over four points and Conor Lehane added a point. Patrick Horgan’s 60th minute goal sent Cork a whopping 18 clear, which turned out to be the margin in the end.
Tipperary’s start suggested they weren’t going to fold for the second time in third outings after their capitulation against Limerick. The clock had only turned 16 seconds when Mark Kehoe had the ball in the net. Noel McGrath’s exemplary vision put Conor Bowe through for the first shot and Kehoe poached on Patrick Collins’ save.
Cork responded with a point seconds later and were back level in the ninth minute with the third of four unanswered points. The sides were level on eight occasions in an opening half where they had their equal share of purple patches.
As Tipperary struggled to keep up with Darragh Fitzgibbon’s movement, Cork stretched into a two-point lead by the 20th minute only for the home side to hit back with three in a row, the last of them a simple puck-out fetch, turn and strike by Alan Tynan.
The directness of the game made it most appealing and Tipperary pushed two ahead themselves on the half-hour mark when Jake Morris followed a Jason Forde effort.
Cork struck seven first-half wides to Tipp’s four but their finish to the period was terrific. Seamus Harnedy’s second point of the game as followed by Horgan’s fifth and then Connolly landed a goal that had all the hallmarks of a Ger Fitzgerald effort, riding the challenges of his namesake Eoghan Connolly and Michael Breen to finish beyond Barry Hogan’s far side.
J. Forde (0-5, 3 frees); M. Kehoe (1-0); J. Morris, J. McGrath (frees) (0-3 each); G. O’Connor, D. Stakelum N. McGrath (0-2 each); A. Tynan, R. Maher (free), C. Bowe, S. Hayes (0-1 each).
P. Horgan (1-9, 0-5 frees); A. Connolly (3-1); S. Kingston (0-4); D. Fitzgibbon, S. Harnedy (0-3 each); S. Barrett, B. Hayes, R. Downey (0-2 each); N. O’Leary, D. Dalton, C. Lehane, L. Meade (0-1 each).
B. Hogan; C. Barrett, M. Breen, C. Morgan; B. O’Mara, R. Maher (c), C. Bowe; A. Tynan, E. Connolly; G. O’Connor, N. McGrath, J. Forde, J. Morris; G. O’Connor, D. Stakelum, M. Kehoe.
J. Ryan for R. Maher (temp, 32-ht); C. Stakelum for E. Connolly (h-t); J. Ryan for C. Barrett (inj 42); J. McGrath for J. Forde (43); P. Maher for D. Stakelum (48); S. Ryan for G. O’Connor (56).
P. Collins; S. O’Donoghue, E. Downey; T. O’Mahony; N. O’Leary, R. Downey, M. Coleman; E. Twomey, D. Fitzgibbon; D. Dalton, S. Barrett, S. Harnedy; P. Horgan, B. Hayes.
L. Meade for E. Twomey (temp, 32-ft); S. Kingston for D. Dalton (45); G. Millerick for S. O’Donoghue (52); C. Lehane for S. Harnedy (60); J. O’Connor for S. Barrett (62); T. O’Connell for D. Fitzgibbon (65); S. Twomey for A. Connolly (67).
T. Walsh (Waterford).
